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SONY PICTURES CLASSICS GETS SMASHED

Posted Monday, March 5th, 2012 - Comments Off on SONY PICTURES CLASSICS GETS SMASHED
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK (March 5, 2012) – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired all worldwide rights to SMASHED. The film, directed by James Ponsoldt (OFF THE BLACK), is produced by Jonathan Schwartz (Like Crazy) and Andrea Sperling (Like Crazy) of Super Crispy Entertainment, who were honored at Sundance this year with a Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing, as well as Jennifer Cochis.  The film is executive produced by Audrey and Zygi Wilf.  SPC previously worked with Sperling on the 2005 feature, THE QUIET.

SMASHED premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews and stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD), Emmy Award® winner Aaron Paul (BREAKING BAD), Academy Award® winner Octavia Spencer (THE HELP), Nick Offerman (PARKS & RECREATION), Emmy Award® winner Megan Mullally (WILL & GRACE) and Emmy Award® winner Mary Kay Place (BIG LOVE; MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN).

In SMASHED, Kate and Charlie like to have a good time. Their marriage thrives on a shared fondness for music, laughter . . . and getting smashed. When Kate’s partying spirals into hard-core asocial behavior, compromising her job as an elementary schoolteacher, something’s got to give. But change isn’t exactly a cakewalk. Sobriety means she will have to confront the lies she’s been spinning at work, her troubling relationship with her mother, and the nature of her bond with Charlie.

“This is quite a remarkable and rare human drama, achieved through superb filmmaking by director James Ponsoldt and his entire cast, especially Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who gives one of the finest performances of the year.  We are so pleased to be able to bring this film to audiences all over the world and to be working with producers Jonathan Schwartz and Andrea Sperling as well as our friends at UTA.” states Sony Pictures Classics.

Adds Producer Jonathan Schwartz, “We are all are thrilled to be working with Sony Pictures Classics on the release of SMASHED.  We are in love this movie, and could think of no better home for the film than with Michael and Tom.  Their track record speaks for itself. ”

The deal was negotiated by UTA and CAA, on behalf of Super Crispy Entertainment, as well as, attorneys Lawrence Kopeikin and Elsa Ramo.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992, which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world.

Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 29 Academy Awards® (25 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 124 Academy Award® nominations (101 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/.

ABOUT SUPER CRISPY ENTERTAINMENT

Super Crispy’s Jonathan Schwartz and Andrea Sperling have combined to produce over 30 feature films, including Sundance 2011 Grand Jury Award winner Like Crazy and 2012 Sundance premieres SMASHED and NOBODY WALKS, for which the producers won the Special Jury Prize, the first such prize awarded to Producers in Sundance history. Other credits include Michael Haneke’s FUNNY GAMES, Peter Weir’s THE WAY BACK, Goran Dukic’s WRISTCUTTERS, A Love Story, Drake Doremus’ untitled 2012 film, as well as Doremus’ Sundance winner LIKE CRAZY and DOUCHEBAG, Gregg Araki’s KABOOM, and David Ayer’s HARSH TIMES.

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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

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There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.

I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”

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~ David Simon